1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging for consumables that incorporates promotional items and, more particularly, to cardboard/paperboard boxes that carry internal, integral removable tattoos as a xe2x80x9cpremium play elementxe2x80x9d for use by consumers, such as a children, for entertainment during or after consumption of the product contained therein.
2. Description of the Background
Product marketing can be a highly competitive process, especially when the target market is children. As an example of one effort to gain a competitive advantage, cereal manufacturers frequently include within the cereal box, in addition to the cereal, some form of premium play element or xe2x80x9cgift with purchasexe2x80x9d (GWP). Cereal GWP""s have traditionally taken the form of children""s toys/playthings such as action figures, rings, comics, trading cards, etc. The ability/opportunity to coordinate a GWP campaign with a trendy theme (e.g. xe2x80x9cPokemonxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cPower Puff Girlsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cTeletubbiesxe2x80x9d, any of a number of Disney characters) often provides a company with huge gains in market share at the expense of its competitors. On the other hand, the economics of providing a GWP can be prohibitive in many situations. Action figures and the like can be expensive, and the simple logistics of incorporating a GWP inside a product container can be daunting in the context of a high-speed production process. The addition of the GWP in the production process takes more time, escalates manufacturing costs, and introduces potential bottlenecks into the process. In order to reduce the costs, there have been efforts at incorporating the GWP as an integral part of the package. For example, it is not uncommon these days to see bottle caps bearing action figures, cereal boxes with small toys included inside the box, etc. However, in the latter case the toy must be manufactured separately and then inserted into the box, thereby adding two more process steps. Obviously, if a cereal box can be manufactured at the outset with an integral GWP, then there is no need to interrupt the packaging process for the cereal.
One popular GWP category among young adults is xe2x80x9cbody art.xe2x80x9d Body art augments an individual""s appearance through temporary and/or permanent tattoos, and jewelry items. However, most young children are not be allowed to obtain permanent body art (e.g., permanent tattoos or piercings). This actually increases the appeal of temporary body art such as, for example, a temporary tattoo that will eventually wash off. Temporary tattoos provide manufacturers of children""s goods with a low-cost means of enhancing the entertainment value of their products. One example of a means for enhancing the entertainment value of products supplied in cylindrical cans/bottles is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,401 to Witkowski et al. That patent discloses a label that, in addition to carrying suitable advertising matter on its exterior surface (i.e. as applied on the can/bottle), carries on its interior surface one or more temporary transfer tattoos as premium play elements.
Despite the above, the present inventor is unaware of any equivalent means to incorporate a temporary tattoo as an integral part of a cardboard/paperboard box. This is primarily because the flexographic printing processes used for the tattoos versus the cardboard boxes differ widely. Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a means to attach one or more high quality, temporary tattoos to one or more inside surfaces of a cardboard/paperboard box without compromising structural integrity, and without significantly increasing the manufacturing costs.
In accordance with the above, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive enhancement to a conventional cardboard/paperboard box in the form of an attachment comprising one or more integral removable tattoos, that is intended to influence consumers to purchase the enclosed product over competing products with conventional packaging.
It is another object of the present invention to provide removable tattoos, as premium play elements or xe2x80x9cgifts with purchasexe2x80x9d, that are high quality simulations of actual, permanent tattoos.
It is another object to incorporate a temporary tattoo as an integral part of a cardboard/paperboard box, the container being produced in a single-pass flexographic printing process.
According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing one or more integral temporary tattoos that are integrally constructed as part of a cardboard/paperboard box as a GWP. The presently preferred tattoo box structure includes a die-cut paper board box printed and laminated on one side to convey ingredients, warranties, etc., in a conventional manner, and treated on the other side to adhere a temporary tattoo as an integral GWP. The side of the box bearing the temporary tattoo may also be printed in the tattoo area with application instructions, print advertising and the like, although this is an optional feature. Normally, tattoo application instructions are printed on the backside of the tattoo. Incorporation of the tattoo is accomplished by spot-laminating the untreated side of the die-cut paper board box with a water soluble slip layer, and then adhering a water resistant film on the water soluble slip layer. The water resistant film bears printed tattoo subject matter, and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive covers the printed subject matter. Alternatively, a spot coating may be applied only over the printed design (rather than a water resistant film).
The tattoo construction may vary, and the invention can be accomplished using any variety of tattoo constructions. In any such case, the temporary tattoo is removable from the cardboard/paperboard box by a punch-out trading card defined by a line of perforations encircling the tattoo area on the die-cut paper board box. The present invention merges the removable tattoo production process with the fabrication of the cardboard/paperboard box in an economical way so as to make the product contained within more compelling, and to offer the tattoo(s) as a GWP.